they for Japanese speakers — pronunciation and common errors

Pronunciation

Japanese lacks the voiced dental fricative /ð/, so speakers substitute the voiced alveolar plosive /d/ or the voiced alveolar fricative /z/. This results in /ze/ or /de/ instead of /ðeɪ/.

Grammar

Japanese is a pro-drop language where the subject is omitted if understood from context (ゼロ代名詞 zero-daimeishi). Consequently, speakers frequently omit 'they' in English sentences when the referent has already been established in the discourse.

Examples

• They are waiting for the bus outside.
• If a student forgets their umbrella, they can borrow one from the front desk.